las' heart, doubly so in this instance, by reason of Vernet's by no
means robust appearance. From that moment Nicholas became very attached
to, and would often send for, him. They would often converse on subjects
even more serious, and, one day, after the partition of Poland, Nicholas
proposed that Vernet should paint a picture on the subject.

"I am afraid I cannot do it, sire," was the answer. "I have never
painted a Christ on the cross."

"The moment I had said it," continued Vernet, when he told me the story,
which is scarcely known, "I thought my last hour had struck. I am
positively certain that a Russian would have paid these words with his
life, or at least with lifelong exile to Siberia. I shall never forget
the look he gave me; there was a murderous gleam in the eyes; but it was
over in an instant. Nevertheless, I feel convinced that Nicholas was
mad, and, what is more, I feel equally convinced that there is incipient
madness throughout the whole of the Romanoff family. I saw a good many
of its members during my stay in Russia. They all did and said things
which would have landed ordinary men and women in a lunatic asylum. At
the same time there was an unmistakable touch of genius about some of
them. I often endeavoured to discuss the matter with the resident
foreign physicians, but, as you may imagine, they were very reticent.
But mark my words, one day there will be a terrible flare-up. Of course,
the foreigner, who sees the superstitious reverence, the slavish respect
with which they are surrounded, scarcely wonders that these men and
women should, in the end, consider themselves above, and irresponsible
to, the millions of grovelling mortals whom they rule; in spite of all
this, the question can only be one of time, and when the Russian empire
falls, the cataclysm will be unlike any other that has preceded it."

There was a comic side to Horace Vernet's character. By dint of painting
battle-pieces he had come to consider himself an authority on strategy
and tactics, and his criticisms on M. Thiers' system of fortifications
used to set us roaring. I am under the impression--though I will not
strictly vouch for it--that at the recommendation of one or two of the
inveterate jokers of our set, Laurent-Jan[34] and Mery, he had a couple
of interviews with M. Theirs, but we never ascertained the result of
them. It was almost certain that the minister of Louis-Philippe, who at
one period of his life considered hi